Kim Kardashian was accused of damaging Marilyn Monroe’s dress when before and after pictures went viral. But now Ripley’s has come to Kim’s defense.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum has debunked claims The Kardashians star Kim Kardashian damaged Marilyn Monroe’s dress. At last month’s Met Gala, Kim wore an iconic Marilyn outfit. The movie star originally wore it back in 1962 to sing “Happy Birthday” for JFK.
Kim’s choice to wear the dress was controversial from the start. The reality star earned a lot of backlash after admitting she had to crash diet to fit into it. And earlier this week, before and after pictures of the garment went viral. The “before” photo, taken in 2016, showed the decades-old item in near-perfect condition. But in the “after” photo, there was some visible wear and tear, including multiple missing or loose crystals. Kim was blamed for ruining Marilyn’s dress, and Ripley’s was scorned for allowing her to wear it. Now, representatives from the museum are defending Kim and setting the record straight.
On Thursday, June 16, Ripley’s representatives explained the truth about the dress’ condition to TMZ. To start, they emphasized that the “before” photo was dated 2016. That was the same year Ripley’s won the Bob Mackie design at an auction for $4.8 million. In early 2017, a report on its condition read, “a number of the seams are pulled and worn. This is not surprising given how delicate the material is. There is puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes.” This description matched the damage Kim was blamed for, proving it was already there five years ago. Amanda Joiner, Ripley’s VP of Publishing and Licensing, also came to Kim’s defense. Amanda, who was with Kim and her boyfriend Pete Davidson on the Gala’s red carpet, told TMZ, “From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in.”
Further pushing the blame away from the TV personality, another rep said it could’ve been damaged during travel. Ripley’s has taken the dress from Florida, where the museum is based, to be displayed around the world. Meanwhile, there’s been no word on the condition of the second dress the mom-of-four wore to a Met afterparty. However, it’s unlikely those who were upset at Kim wearing the dress in the first place will be moved by any of these clarifications. Finally, museum reps also denied the rumors that the lock of Marilyn’s hair Kim received was fake.
Even still, the mogul is eternally in the midst of multiple controversies. Her latest business venture, a revamped skincare line called SKKN, hasn’t had the best launch. In the past few weeks, Kim’s been accused of ripping off other celeb skincare lines. Additionally, her claims that the product bottles are refillable was branded false advertising.
After the before/after pictures went viral, the damage sparked tons of conversations throughout social media. Some thought the reaction was overblown, considering it’s just a dress. Others argued iconic clothing items should be preserved like art. And many Marilyn fans saw the kerfuffle as a metaphor for the actress’ tragic life. It remains to be seen what impact the latest revelations will have on the discourse. One thing’s for sure: Kim and the Kardashians know how to keep people talking.
The Kardashians season 1 is available to stream on Hulu. The reality series is already in production on season 2.
Source: TMZ
